Freedom of Speech
Oh! Those Danish Cartoons. Contumacious, absolutely. Mean-spirited, probably not. Political cartoons, Bob and Judy said, are by their very nature cruel and direct. If you want sweet, Judy said, go to the fluff romance writer Barbara Cartland used to write, not the political cartoons in your daily newspaper or your favorite political satire columns.

Schuyler passed around frozen daiquiris he made with delicious Jamaican rum from The Appleton Estate. We were all gathered in the great room, huddled around Bob and Judy. Bob was telling us that when he was transferred to a foreign country when he worked for a large transnational company, he and Judy had to adapt to the customs and mores of that country, rather than the other way around. Also, he said, if they had chosen to go move to country X, they would just assume that they were going to have to adapt and embrace that country and its ways, and not expect that country to change for his and Judy's sake. And further, Bob and Judy both told us, if they willingly moved to another country and disapproved of the way things were done in that country, they were always free to choose to return to their country of origin. Eventually, Bob said, like Max, who had been brought up abroad, he and Judy returned to this country, which offered them freedom of speech in abundance.

Christians, The Danes, and Us
We, Schuyler said, were rather accustomed to making fun of this religious group or another. For the most part, we don't take ourselves too seriously, and especially at our gatherings, we rejoice in finding the very things about the "Born Again Christians" that make them such a quaint, if ignorant bunch of people. In Denmark, as in the rest of Europe, Christianity is no longer accorded great deference or reverence, as Europe has become more publicly secular, which should very much be to the benefit of Muslims living and trying in droves to move to Europe. If Europeans were not so secular, then their different faiths would surface and assert their superiority, something that has not hitherto been done, but which the Muslims, by their furious response to some inane cartoon may very well trigger now.

Christians also, are not so quick to take offence, and Muslims living in countries that are not Muslim should learn, perhaps, to also not be so ready to take offence. As other groups, these can be too thin-skinned, and too ready to take offence where none was meant. We all, Danes and citizens of the United States, are all too familiar with groups that too easily take offence, making it impossible to talk about a myriad subjects, and that, Cholly, is a bore.

A Bore
A bore offends by self-righteousness, much as the "born-again christians" bore by their incessant, self-flagellating purity. Some of these ethnic or "religious" groups bore by their unbelievably thin skin, making it seem that they have the power to dictate to the rest of us just how delicately we must tread with them.

This desire to consider your religion the only right religion is a bore, and has been the cause of eons of hate, the born-again christian belief that the world is only 6,000 years old notwithstanding. After centuries, it does become a bore: Muslim against Christian; Christian against Jew; Catholic against Protestant; Turks against Armenians; Sunnis against Shias; Greeks against Cypriots; Basques against Spaniards; and that paragon of born-again christian virtue, Pat Robertson against everybody, with murder always on his christian brain and heart.

Temperance
At this point, Liz said that moderation in this whole tempest would be best, and she pointed out to us that this was an unbelievable opportunity for the Muslims to teach the world that their religion is more worthy than the rabble-rousers now burning Danish and Norwegian embassies and consular offices all over the Middle East would have the world believe. Those actions, Liz told us, would only produce more cartoons. But, as always, she had a quote to make her point, this from 19th Century British philosopher Jon Stuart Mill: "The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people."

Also, she asked us, and Muslims everywhere, to remember what William Penn once said, "I may not agree with you but I will defend unto death your right to say it."

Dinner Gong: Bliss With a Bang
The teenagers sounded the dinner gong, advising us that dinner was ready and that yes, they were hungry. Charlotte had prepared Chicken Liver Bruschetta for us, using capers, anchovies and plenty of shallots and sage. Was this amuse-bouche appreciated? The teenagers asked for seconds, so you can't tell this bunch that teenagers won't eat this or won't eat that: you just have to show them how ingredients new to them can be prepared in pretty amazing ways. We had our Bruschetta with a new sparkling wine we discovered in New Mexico, made a family French vintners. Their Gruet Vineyards Méthode Champenoise non-vintage Brut was an excellent accompaniment for our appetizers, as it was dry, crisp and full-bodied.

Charlotte and Beatrix, both of whom enjoy spending a lot of time preparing dinner, tonight made us Shrimp and Cod Fish Wonton Soup. Because they were able to make the wonton wrappers well ahead of tonight's dinner, they weren't pressed for time. They both thought sipping the last of our New Mexico Gruet sparkling wine would be fine with our delicate yet spicy soup course.

The fish course Max and Charlotte prepared was Red Snapper in White Wine, simply braised with white wine, shallots, thinly sliced limes, capers and ripe olives. Served simply on a bed of exquisite, fluffy white rice, they paired the fish with a 2005 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This was a grassy, lime-flavored wine that perfectly paired with the flavors in the fish.

Our next course was cold Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast, plated with an exquisite Roast Pepper Terrine. LeCreuset makes absolutely amazing enameled cast iron terrine vessels, without which we would be lost. For this course, Beatrix and Charlotte thought a nice Italian Avignonesi Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, with its touch of herbal and tea leaf aromas and soft tannins would be perfect. It was.

Dessert and Preparations to Head Home
Charlotte made us some wonderful Chestnut "Truffles." She used some of the same Jamaican rum Schuyler had used for our daiquiris, and since we thought of this as a simple dessert, the younger set was thrilled by the "spike" in their dessert!

Max prepared decaf espresso for us in his antique, solid brass espresso machine, capping off a wonderful evening, albeit one filled with subjects that require a lot of introspection. Remember, some of us are Muslims, and what happens in Denmark affects here in the hills.

Summary:
Freedom of speech is one of the most prized liberties in the West. It is prized throughout Europe, and it was, before George Bush, sacrosanct in the United States. Some overly sensitive people would stifle freedom of speech in Europe, but temperance on both sides has to overcome cultural and religious differences. Perhaps the one should be more aware of deeply held religious beliefs, and the other should be more aware of what the mores are in the country he or she chooses to live in; leaving that country for good if those mores don't feel comfortable.